Film-feeding machine.



F. E. STILLINGS.

FILM FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY e, 191s.

1,083,227. Patented De@.30,113.

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` F. E. STILLINGS. FILM FEEDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1913.

Patented Dec. 30,' 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN E. S'IILLINGS, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T0 MEARLE J. GREEN AND ONE-THIRD TO JAMES ARCHIBALD ALEXANDER, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

FILM-FEEDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30,1913- Application filed May 6, 1913. Serial No. 765,942.

. ing at ,El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Film- `Feedin Machines; and I do hereby declare the.' fol owing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

The present invention relates to film feeding mechanism for cameras of the moving picture type, and has for its purpose to provide a machine having means wherein the feeding of the flni may be' changed to opcrate in the reverse direction, to the end of obtaining vision scenes in the moving pictures reproduced by the projecting machine.`

The invention has for its further purpose to provide a film feeding machine wherein the change to feed the film in the reverse directionv may be effected in a quick and convenient manner and in which both the' forward and reverse feed of the film are produced 'by one and the same means, and withthe actuating member thereof operating in the same direction.

With these and other objects iii-'view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

vrReferring to the accompanying drawings forming a partv of this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the views :.-Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the'machine; Fig. 2 is aside elevational view thereof, the'casing being broken away to show the ymechanism more clearly; and Fig'. 3 is a detail" perspective view, partly in section, of one of the ratchet-parvis.

- ,Referring to the construction in detail, the machine consists of a casing or frame l having a shaft2 journaled therein and adapted tobe'rotated by the crank A pail; of shafts 4- and 5 are mounted on the casingrand are provided, each with a. film engaging roller 6 for the film 7 as in the ordinary manner. The pair of film feeding rollers 6 is adapted to be rotated simultaneously and intermittently in either direction for unwiiiding or'rewinding the film, as will be now eXplained.-

A pair of counter shafts 8 and 9 is journaled in the frame 1 and haveeacli a pinion 10 meshing with a driving pinion 11 mounted on the shaft 2; and a pair of crank shafts 12 and 13 journaled in the casing have pinions 14 and 15 respectively, meshing with the piiiio-ns 10 and are driven thereby. The two crank shafts 1`Q"and 13 are connected to operate simultaneously two Aoscillating members 16 and 17, journaled on the shafts de and 5. by means of crank arms 1S and 19 connecting saidcraii'ik shafts with said oscillating members as in the manner shown; and a link 2O connects said oscillating mein` bers. Each of said oscillating members consists of two pairs of plates 21 and 22 ar-` ranged in spaced relation and held assembled through the medium of pins 23 and 24 to which are connected the crank shaft arms 18 and 19 and the link 20.

A pair of ratchet wheels 25 and 26 is mounted between the plates 21 and Q2 on each of the shafts 4 and 5, and each pair of said ratchet wheels is mounted in relatively reversed relation. A pair of pawls 27 and 28 is mounted on each oscillating arm, and arranged one pawl for each ratchet wheel to the end of operating the shaft 4 in either direction desired. The four pawls (27 and 2S) and ratchets (25 and 26) are disposed in diagonal arrangement to the end that the film engaging rollers 6 are both positively operated and with the saine 'speed accordingly as the iilni is to be fed in forward or reverse direction.

When one diagonal pair of pawls and ratchets are in copcration, the other di- The relative proportions of the several cooperating gears, and connecting mechanism is such as to obtain the necessary sixteen exposures per second, the periods of -obscurity being obtained by the idle more ments of the ratchet engaging pawls, but inasmuch as this phase of the operation of the machine does not constitute an essential feature of the invention, the precise details of the gearing Will not be further described.

It will therefore be seen that the present machine will make positive engagement with the film both at the feed and take up sides of the lens, Whether the film be moving in forward or reverse direction, thus avoiding uneven strains, and thereby minimizing the cause of the film breaking. And, it will be furthermore noted that the film may be moved in either direction at a moments notice, and yet allon7 the operator to turn the crank constantly in the same direction, thereby eliminating errors, forgetting counts, etc., Which are likely to occur in making chances When more time is required for effecting the reverse feed of the lm. Thus, in thepresent manner of reversing the film, it is necessary that an accurate account be made of the revolutions of the hand turning crank in order that the film may be begun at the proper point for the regular full exposures, but by the present machine .this counting of the reverse rotations of the hand crank need not be done, and consequently the liability of error is obviated.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the spirit of my inyention, and therefore, I do not Wish to bc limited to the abovedisclosures exceptas may be required by the claims.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing; film engaging rollers mounted. on the casing; an intermittently actuated device for each roller adapted to feed the film in one direction; an intermittently actuated device for each roller adapted to feed the film in the opposite direction; and a common means for operating said film feeding devices.

Q. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing; film engaging rollers mounted on the casing; a

- pawl and ratchet device for each of said film engaging rollers for operating the same in one direction; driving mechanism for said pawls and ratchets; and a second pawl and ratchet device for each of said film engaging rollers operable through said driving mechanism for feeding the film in the reverse direction.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination of 'a casing; film engaging rollers mounted on the casing; ratchet wheels connected to said rollers; pawls for actuating said ratchet Wheels; paul carrying members; crank shafts journaled on the casing; arms connecting the crank shafts to actuate the pawl carrying members for feeding the film in one direction; second ratchet wheels connected to said rollers; parvis mounted on said paWl carrying rmembers for actuating said second ratchet Wheels to feed the film in reverse direction; and driving mechanism for said crank shafts.

4. In a machine of the character de scribed, the combination of a. casing; film engaging rollers mounted on the casing; ratchet Wheels connected to said rollers; oscillating members mounted adjacent the ratchet wheels; pawls carried by said oscillating members for actuating said ratchets to feed the film; a link connecting said oscillating members; crank shafts journaled on the casing; crank arms connecting said crank shafts and said oscillating members; and a gearing for operating said crank shafts.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing; film engaging rollers mounted on the casing; ratchet Wheels connected to said rollers; oscillating irembers mounted adjacent the ratchet wheels; pavvls carried by said oscillating members for actuating said ratchets to feed the film;'a link connecting said oscillating members; second ratchet Wheels connected to said film rollers; second pawls carried by said oscillating members for actuating said second ratchet Wheels to reverse feed the film; crank shafts journaled on the casing; crank arms connecting said crank shafts and said oscillatin members; and a gearing for operating sai crank shafts.

G. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing; shafts journaled on the casing; film engaging rollers mounted on said shafts; a pair of o positely disposed ratchet Wheels mounte on said shafts; members mounted to oscillate on said shafts adjacent said ratchets; pawls carried by said oscillating members and adapted to engage with their respective ratchets to operate the shafts intermittently in either direction; a link connecting said oscillating members; crank shafts journaled on the casing; arms connecting said crank shafts with said oscillating members; and driving means for said crank shafts.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casing; shafts journaled on the casing; film engaging rollers mounted on said shafts; a pair of oppositely disposed ratchet Wheels mounted on each of said shafts; members mounted to oscillate on said shafts adjacent each pair of said ratchets; a pair of pawls carried by each of said oscillating members and adapted, one of each respective pair, to engage with .their corresponding pair of ratchets for moving said ratchets in one direction; means for withdrawing and securing in inoperative posit-ion one pair of said pawls when, the other pair thereof is operating;

lgud driving means for said oscillating memers.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence o' Jwo Witnesses.

FRANKLIN E. STILLINGS. Witnesses:

R. S. IVALKER, T. E. ATWATER.

Copies of this patent: may be obtained for ve cents each, by ddressing the Commissioner of Patenl.

' Washington, D. C. 

